Veteran soldiers vs police in Makassar

Veteran soldiers vs police in Makassar

MAKASSAR, South Sulawesi: Dozens of veteran soldiers and their
families, whose their houses in Panakkukang area here were
destroyed in May this year to allow the construction of a
building office, clashed with police personnel on Thursday,
leaving one person slightly injured.

The clash began at 11 a.m, when dozens of veteran soldiers and
their families, who now lived on makeshift shelters in the area,
staged protest over the construction of a building on their
previous residences.

The protesters tried to stop workers of developer PT Setia
Pandan Jaya from starting the construction of the building, but
the police insisted that they had to leave the area.

The protesters and the police pushed each other, and a brawl
almost happened. The protesters left the area, after Andi Aidin,
one of the protesters, was beaten by a police personnel, by using
baton stick, on his temple.

The 49 families of the veterans were evicted in May from
Panakkukang area, which made them homeless. They insisted to stay
in the area, by making makeshift shelters.

Since then, they have been evicted several times by city
administration, but they always came back to build other
makeshift shelters. -- JP